Automatic shotgun



E. H. SHELMAN AUTOMATIC SHOTGUN Feb. 19, 1929.

Filed Sept. 28, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet amounted Feb. 19, 1929.

E. H. SHELMAN AUTOMATIC sfio'reun Filed Sept. 28, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Pet. 19, rare.

EDWARD H. SHELMAN, OF IRVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC SHOTGUN.

. Application filed September 23, 1927. Serial No. 222,629.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic shotguns and relates particularly tothat type of shotgun in which the barrel ;may be loaded with a single cartridge through lean 'opening'in the side of the receiver and in which the magazine is loaded through an I opening on the under side of the receiver.

I As at present constructed, shotguns of the vtype indicated are provided with an internal o closure forthe side opening in the receiver which aifords curves, crevices and corners, making lodging places for dust and dirt which readily enter the chamber within the receiver when the sliding member which One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a sliding closure for the side J 1 opening in the receiver which works on the outside of the receiver, thereby avoiding all lodging places for the accumulation of foreign matter and acting by its sliding movement to keep those parts clean upon which the'dust and dirt usually accumulate. 7 Another object of the invention is to provide a closure for the opening in the'under side of the receiver through which the magagine is fed, this opening being left open in I v guns of known construction.

A further object of the invention is to combine the closure or lid for this under side opening Wibh the cartridge feeding mechanism, sothat when said lid is. moved to open po-- sition, the cartridge feeding mechanism, which, in ordinary constructions normally loccludes the entrance to the magazine and Q must be pushed aside, and held aside while the magazine is filled, is automatically held in raised position, giving free access to the i magazine, so that both hands are free to {A0 assist, if; necessary, in holding the gun and fe ding the cartridges into'the magazine.

I Still another object of the invention is to so corelate the lid or under-side closure with the safety trigger, that when said lid is in open oosition that is to say, when the magazine .-*is open; thesafety trigger is automatically thrown tosafety position so that the firing I trigger cannot be pulled until the magazine feeding mechanism has returned to closed position, which it can only doupon the closfingof said lid. I

Another object ofthe invention is to provide the lid or underneath closure with means cooperable with the sliding handle vwhich reelti ion tt-he-bree hblock a closes the opening is moved to openposition.

well as the closure of the side openinginto' the magazine, in such a manner that should said slidinghandleand breech-block be left in open position prior to the opening of the underneath closure or lid, the opening of the latter will release detent means controlling the open position of the sliding handle so that the latter and with. it the breech-block at once returns to closed position. This construction insures that both the barrel and magazine shall not be open to the outside of the receiver at the same time.

A further object of the invention is to so improve the construction of the cartridge stop which normally depends in front of the open end of the magazine and at the same time pro ects into the path of movement of the breech-block, in such a manner that this stop is made in two pieces, the convenient removal of one of which pieces permits the removal of the breech-block endwise with the barrel, when taking the gun apart, an operation which is not possible in guns of the type, as at present constructed, without taking;

apart a complicated set of mechanical parts so that the cartridge stop as a whole can be moved out of the path of thebreech-block. Still another object of the invention is to improve the construction of the cartridge stop leaf, which normally holds the cartridge 1n position upon its automatic emergence from the magazine, until the recoil movement of the previously fired shell has set the parts of the feeding mechanism in position to receive and propel the cartridge into the firing chamber of the barrel. 7

This improvement also contemplates a manual release of the cartridge stopleaf so that the cartridge can be readily removed by hand in unloading the magazine without firing the cartridges. i 7

till another obj octof the invention relates to an improvement in the cartridge tilting means incident to the ejection of the cartridge. which, in present shotguns, is so constructed as to necessitate receiving grooves being formed in the breech-block,

the latter to some extent. By the present invent-ion, the cartridge tilting device iscarried by the barrel and recedes from the path of the breech-block upon the advance of the latter,

obviating the necessity for a seating slot in the breech-block for the same, and avoiding the objectionable weakening of the, breechblock incident to the provision o'f'such a slot.

weakening 7 'brecch block it ingtrom the Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention proceeds,

Inthe drawings p Fig. 1 is a. side elevation of the receiver portion of the shotgun showing the hand slide and magazine door in open position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section,- showing a port-ion ot the barrel and magazine. f

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the breech-block.

Fig. t is a longitudinal section showing the. ejecting mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the receiver. 7

Fig.6 is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section, showing the choke end of the barrel.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the view shown in Fig. 7, part being broken away in section, showing both of the stop leaves.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the magazine chamber. partly in section, showing :one of the stop leaves. 7 v

Fig.8 is aplan view of the breech-block chamber.

' 'Fig. 9 is a section taken along the line 99 ot-Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the cartridge stop.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the cartridge elevating member.

*" Fig. 12 is a perspective view ot 'th e safety catch and safety trigger in' cooperativerelm tion.

Referring now in detail totlie several figures, the gun includes the usual receiver' l, barrel 8 andmagazine 17". The magazine is provided with an external slideway in its upper half which is'apertured on one side to form the opening 2 into which a cartridge may be inserted by hand in'the direct path toward the barrel. The aperture 2 is normally closed by means oi a hand-slide 1, the

v same having a range ot-moveinent along the slideway of the receiver. In ordinary constructions, the aperture 2 is closed by the it which occludes said opende "forming a paneled dcprcssion on the outside surface of the receiver into the corners and crevices or" which dust v and foreign matter collects, so that when the breech-block is pushed tm-vard the stock-of the gun in order to uncover the opening for the purpose oi admitting a cartridge the collected. dustand dirt fails into the receiver and uponthe mechanism contained therein.

Bv the present construction. it is providedthat there shall be no cracks or cre ices and thatthe sliding action of the hand-slide '1 upon the receiver shall keep polished those surfaces upon which'thc dustordinarilyaccumulates. I V

7 he improvement next to be described relates to the closure of the opening at the under side ot the receiver which,in ordinary gun constructions, is left uncovered. In the present instance, the closure comprises a door 5 pivotally connected to the receiver by a' transverse pin 21. vThis door is normally closed, being opened only when it is-desired to fill the magazine.

The provision of the door 5 lends itself to I 7 its utilization in accomplishing several new results which are not attempted by any known gun-construct on and which are of highly advantageous character. The first of these relatesto the utilization of said door in maintaining the access to the magazinechamber automatically open as long as maybe desired or until'the entire quota of cartridges has been fed into the magazine. Ordinarily, access to the mouth of the magaz ne chamber is obstructed by the, cartridge elevating means, which in the automatic operation of the gun elevates the cartridges successively from themagazineinto the'path of the breech-block,

and which means willpresently be described.

In ordinary gun constructions,this elevating means must be held aside by depressing a button on the side of the receiver and holding it depressed during the entire-time required. for filling the magazine. It the button isrelcased, the cartridge elevating means returns to its. normal position obstructing the'feeding of cartridges to the magazine.

It will, therefore, be understood that in known constructions one hand must be continuously employed 1n holding open the passage leading to the magazine, leaving but one hand free'for the filling operation. By

the present construction the door 5 'is utilized as lever torautcimatically holding-the car- .tridgeelevating means above the entrance to the magazine barrel, leaving both hands free for the filling operation. In the accomplishment of this function, the door oisprovided rearwardly with a cam 70 which, in the normal closed position of the door 5 is inactive, but which, in the fully; opened position of said door shown in Fig. 1, abuts against a cam 35 formed on the cartridge elevating neans 18, raising thelatter from the position shown 1n Flg. 5 to that shown in Fig. 1.

and thereby affording free access through the opening in thebottoin of the receiver to the magazine chamber. The cartridge-elea ting 1111621115 18 comprises a spoon-shaped forward end formed with a slot 92 in, its lower snrtace utilized tor a purpose which will hereinafter appear, .Sill'il elevating, means bepivoted within the receiver upon the transvcrsepin 22. Said elevating means is also provided with a pivoted-pawl'34, the utility of which will appear from a description oi the movement of the breech-block and its attendant mechanism', including the .handsslide 1; It is necessaryat this point .merely to state that the pawl iii so cooperates with the breech block niecl ianisni that whenthe cartridge-elevating member is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the end of the i-"pawlridesout of the notch 40 provided in a the latter being released, and being permitted tofreturn to "its closed position in which the hand-slide 1 closes the aperture 2. It thus appearsithat the door is so correlated with fthe hand-slide 1 that whenever the door 5 'tion relative to the barrel filling aperture 2. The door 5 also cooperates with the safety trigger in such a manner as to render it impossiblefor the gun'to he accidentally fired 7 while the door is left in open position, and

incidentally, it maybe stated that the door 1 can be left in open position only when in the V 3 fully opened position shown in Figure l, for if the door 5 is only partially opened and is then released, itwill at once fly shut due to the downward pressure of the cam upon the 'c'am 70 incident to the action of the spring 5011 3011 the rearward end of the cartridge elevating-member. The gun is provided, in a Y suitable recess in the forward side of the trigger guard with a slideable safety bolt 6 normally spring-retracted from safety position Q and having the head thereof in a path to be engaged by thedoor 5' when the latter is swung to its wide open position. When the .head of the bolt 6 is engaged the bolt is safetytrigger 7 andmoving it to safety, in which'position the safety trigger remains even after the'door 5 is closed, until it is intentionally moved back for the purpose of being able to operate the firing trigger 26.

Adverting now to the breech-block and its appurtenant parts, it is indicated by the .reference character 13 in Fig. 5 and is con screw 12, Fig. 1, operating through a slot in the side of the receiver, which slot is nor- 7 inally closed by the hand-slide. The breechblockis of substantially uniform overall *ress- I section throughouk'its cross-sectional shape being shown inFig. 3. In a slot in the side of the breech-block is carried the link hereinbefore mentioned, which link moves with said breech-block, the notch 10 formed on the lower face-of said link, see Fig. 1. being in the path of the pawl 34 when the cartridge elevating member 18 is in the inactive position shown in 5. 4 At that time, when the tion of the hand slide 1, the link 38 rides over the-end of the pawl 34 depressing it against the pressure of a pawl-spring, not shown, until the notch 40 isreached, whereupon the pawl rises into the notch, inthis manner re- "taming the breech-block in rearward position. Since, from the moment it is detained by the pawl 34, until its release, the breechblock fmust 'first elevate'the cart-ridge elevating deit rides out of the notch link 38 which is secured to the breech-block,

isopen for-filling the magazine, it is assured i thatthe hand-slide 1 shall be in closed posi-- pushed rearwardly, pressing against the nected'to the handslide 1 by means of a breech-block recoils rea-rwardly, or by actuavice by endwise pressure upon the pawl, and then swing the pawl to .a position in which 34, releasing the breech-block, there is ample time for the barrel to run away from the breech-block, in its forward excursion reaching its normal position before the breecl'i-block has been released, and a fiording a space into which the fresh cartridge is lifted by the cartridgeelevating means. Now, as has been previously intimated, if the door 5 is moved to a wide open position, the cartridge-elevating memher is rocked, lowering the pivot of the pawl 34 so that it may move to vertical position under the forward pressure of the breechblock, thus automatically releasing the bieech-block,'\vl1icl1 at onceslides to itsforward or closed position through force imparted to it by a spring 11 acting through the link 42 pivotally attached to the breechblock at 48 and which is of usual construction.

In known constructions of guns of this type, the cartridges are pushed into the mag azine against a follower which is biased in an outward direction by a spring 1 1. A cartridge stop is commonly provided comprising a member pivoted to the breech-block by a transverse pin passing through a hole 36, said member having a part which depends in front of the mouth of the magazine. The forward end of the link 42 normally projects above the rearward part of the cartridge stop, when the breech-block closed, and acts as a locking means to retain the cartridge stop in occluding relation to the mouth of the magazine. It is frequently desirable to remove the barrel and with it the breechblock, but in known. constructions this is a difficult operation on account of the fact that the cartridge stop extends below the path-of the breech-block in the manner aforesaid.

The present invention obviates this difficulty by making the cartridge stop in two parts having a plane of separation in the plane of the lower side of the path of travel of the breech-block. This feature is shown in detail in Fig. 10 and in its relation to the otherparts ofthe gun mechanism in Fig. 5.

The dependent part of the cartri lge stop is represented at 16, 15 being the part which extends below the path of the blQt-Kfll-blOUk. The cartridge stop, as has been stated, is maintained with the member 16 in its depressed position by means of the link .42

itself. and when the breech-block is retracted upon the recoil of the gun, the link 12 tilts upwardly permitting the cartridge stop to be rocked by means of a spring 91 into inoperativeposition with respect to the mouth of the magazine. The parts 15 and 16 are secured together by means of a screw 25, and this screw can be removed for detaching said parts, by opening the. door 5, inserting a screwdriver throughthe slot 92 in the hotfor actuating the stop the stop leaf up tom of the spoon of the cartridge elevating 'ected oath of the breech-block which tou w o gcther with the barrel 8, canbe withdrawn from the front end of the receiver.

When the cartrldge stop 16Iisreleased by the recoil movement of the breech-block, as

will presently appear, in order to permit the extrusion of a fresh cartridge from the magazine, provision must be made for holding said cartridge in its extruded position momentarily, prior to its elevation into the firing chamber. This means consists of the stop leaf 19 shownrin Figs. 5 and 7, which device is broadly old in guns of known construction, but which, in the present device, is improved by the extension 28 which projectsfrom its upper side and lies in thepath of movement of the barrel, being yieldable by camming against said breech-block, against the resistance of a spring 20 when the firing barrel is in its normal position, shown in Figure 5, but coil position, the extenson 28 drops intoa depression 33 in said barrel, thus permitting the spring 20 to expand, forcing the stop leaf 19 inward as long as the firing'barrel is in the recoil position. Just so long as the stop leaf is in its initial position, it arrests the a movement 01. a cartridge from the magazine chamber until the firing barrel has started to return from its recoil position, at which time the extension 28 again cams, outwardly against the side of the firing barrel, exerting spring 20, causing the stop leaf 19 to move outward and permitting the cartridge from V the magazine chamber to continue on' until it restsupon the spoon end of the cartridge-elevating-member 18.

In other words, the extension 28 is the medium leaf 19, and it obtains its movement from the movement of the firing barrel 8 during its recoil positionand its return from the recoil position.

A cartridge stop leaf 29 is also provided which performs a function similar to that performed by the stop leaf 19, the relation of the two stop leaves being clearlyshown in Figure 7. The stop projecting end 29 which bears agar at the cartridge while in position upon the spoon,

preventing its free movement until the end 29 is released from pressure upon the cartridge by the upward movement of the spoonin so 'far as it has itself. This construction, been described, is common to known gun mechanisms, but 1s improved 1n the present embodiment by the finger-piece 24: formed on the opposite end of the leaf 29 and which may be manually manipulated, thus rocking on its pivotal supportand releasing the pressure of the cartridge. This action is performed when when the firing barrel is in the releaf 29has an inwardly 1, I stop rear upon it is, desired to remove shells or cartridges.

manually from, the magazine chamber.

A further .improvementincluded inthe present invention resides in" the ejection mechanism and 'particularly in the pawl 10 which is instrumental in holding theupper edge of the cartridge, acting as a-fulcrum about which the cartridge is tilted in: the

act'of ejection. In the present type of auto matic shotgun, this fulcrum is a fixed projection' on the inside of the breech end of the barrel 8, which necessitates that a groove or slot be formedin the breech-block itself to accommodate thisproj ection whenthe breechblock is in its forward position, the breechbl ock being thereby weakened by the extent of this groove. In the present instance, the pawl 10 1s pivotally mounted in a recess and in the path of the edge of the cartridge,

other provision'on its surface for-receiving this pawl. V r ,7 V i In the operation of the improved shotgun embodied inthe present invention, let it be supposed, first, that the gun is in normal conv 17. The slide cover 1 is first manually pushed toward the stock end of the gun moving with it the breech-block and uncovering the aper-v ture 2 which opens into the breech-block chamber 4-. This permitsla cartridge to be pushed through the aperture 2; into the The next operation breech-block chamber. is to insert the finger into a notch 39 formed in the lower face of the receiver just in advance of the end of the door- 5, projecting slightlybcyond the rear wall'of door 5 is pulled downward, thus uncovering backed by a spring'll which normally -permits said pawl to assume a forwardrposition but which permits the entire recession of the pawl upon engagemc'nt by the breech-block,

so that the latter. need haveno groove "or the latter 7 said notch so as to afford afinger-hold. The

the opening which leads to the loading chami her 4", and at'thc same time raising the car-' 'tridge-elevating member 18 so that the spoon end thereof is out of the way of the mouth of the casing chamber. 'lliisactionxalso places the gun on safety by pressing thesafety bolt 6 in the manner previously described.

At the same timefif the breech-blockhasbeen left n the position 7 toward the stock of the gun, t will be. released and will return to nor mal closed position.

At this point it will be understood that there is a cartridge in the firing chamber '32,

and that the spoon end of the cartridge elevating member'18 is in raised position, so that cartridgescan be jfreelysinserted inthe open mouth of the magazine and pressed into said magazine againstthetension of the spring.

f untilthe appropriate number of cartridges have been inserted, the said cartridges being pushed past thestop 16 which actsas a detent, yielding against the tension of. the

' spring 91.

- The next eration is manuall to close the breech-block relative to the bar door under the magazine or loading chamher 4 thus restoring the gun to the state as shown in Figure 5, with the exception that the safety trigger remains in its locked position with respect to the firing trigger, and in the further fact that the firing chamber is Y now loaded with one cartridge while the magazine is filled with additional cartridges.

' The gun is now ready to be fired, the firing hammer being in the position shown in Fig. 5, ready to be released when the trigger 26 is pulled. Said firing hammer has assumed its cocked position through the action of the breech-blockmoving back toward the stock of the gun and engaging the firing'hammer .45 to force the same downward against the spring until the hooked end of said firing hammersprings over the end of the pawl'46 and engages with the hooped end 1 thereof. This construction is familiar to those skilled in the'art.

' After the safety trigger 7 has been shoved forward the firing trigger 26 is pulled, re-

leasing the firing hammer 45 which strikes the firing pin 47, causing the latter to impinge against the cap in the center of the cartridge in the firing chamber 32. Thus the gun is fired and the recoil produced which actuates the mechanism for ejecting the spent shell,

re-loading the firing chamber from the magazineand placing the parts again in firing position. Under the impulse of the recoil-v the entire gun-f barrel, together with the breech-block, which are unitarily connected for the time by means of the pawl 14, move suddenly backward toward the stockend of "the gun against the tension of the recoil spring 48, through the agency of the ring v 49 which is fixed to the barrel and abut-s against the end of the recoil, sprmg. lVhen the barrel and breech-block reach the limit of the, recoil position, the breech-block strikes thebumper 14 and at the same time the pawl '34 on the cartridge elevating member, which at this moment is in the position shown in F igure 1, engages the l nk 88 which is connected tothe breech-block with slight longitudinal play in the usual manner, this action permitting a slight forward movement of the sult of this movement is that the pawl '14 is drawn downwardly from the slot 14 in the barrel 8 by the pull caused by the recoil inertia of the link 42, thus permitting the barrel 8 to return to'its normalposition, while the The re-' cartridge is fired the barrel and breech block recoil, the barrel returning to its normal position and the breech-block being held momentarily. In the meantime, that is to say, at an instant or slight interval of time between the time of return of the barrel 8 and breech-block 13 from the recoil position,the ejection of the cartridge takesplace, thisbeing brought about through the barrel 8 drawing away from the breech-block while the latter is momentarily arrested in the manner above explained. By'referred to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the pawl 10 is normally forced inward by means of a spring 11, the cartridge having been pushed into the barrel by the rim of the cartridge depressing said pawl. Both said pawl and spring are fixed to a pin at the extreme breech end of the bar rel 8. This pawl will engage the edge or rim of the cartridge shell when the barrel begins to separate from the breech-block thus tilting the shell in an angular position shown 7 in Fig. 4, while at the same time, the hook 3 secured to the breech-block, which had sprung over the edge of the shell when the breech-block first closes the breech,'after loading, pulls upon the opposite side of the shell,

The hook 3 is of conventional construction and need not here be further described- Immediately followingthe operation of ejecting a discharged shell, a fresh cartridge is placed in the firing chamber 32 by these quence of instrumentalities now to be described.

Previously to the recoil, a cartridge in the magazine 17 a is protruding from said magazine under pressure of the spring 44 and resting against the stop 16. Immediately after firing, this cartridge moves outwardly, since the cartridge stop recedes with the breechblock, and in addition, the increasin angularity of the link 42, relative to the breeclv block recoil of the breech-block releases the end ofthelink 42 from the part 15 ofthe car tridge stop, permitting the latter to rock into the breech-block chamber and raising the depending end 16. This cartridge moves outward until the rim thereofstrikes the projecting end of stop leaf 19, this position of the stop leafbeing shown in full lines in Fig. 7.

-This stop leaf is not normally projecting until immediately after the recoil of the barrel 8 has started, the movement of said stop leaf being determined and controlled through the extension 28 on said stopleaf engaging a cam groove in the barrel 8. This cam groove is so designed that immediately: after the recoil of the barrel and breech-block has begun,

1 mevement of the incoming fresh cartridge momentar-ily untilthe barrel 8 has returned fully from its recoil position, at which time the cam groove in saidbar-rizl'has deepened, permitting the extension '28 to fall into, said cam groove, causingthe stop leaf 19. to move outwardly against the tension of the spring 20, thus removing'its edge from obstructive relation to the further 'advance of the pro truding cartridge. The incoming cartridge is then projected into the spoon end of the cartridge elevating member 1 8 under the influence of the spring 4L4, being held with resila ient pressure in said spoon end by means of the stop leaf saw-111011 lies on the side of the loading or magazine chamber opposite to the stop leaf 19. Thestop leaf 29"normally-, by projecting into. thepath of the spoon end of ter down in inoperative position, but when said stop leaf is pressed'outwardly by the issuanceof a cartridge under the pressure of the spring a l, it releases the cartridge elevating'member. The latter, under the influence of the spring and-from the further fact that the end of the pawl. eras belng pressed upon through its contact with link 38, 1s forced upwardly thereby, throwing thecartridge into. the firing chamber 4* in front of the breech-block, while" the breechebloclt is released immediately thereafter through the rocking of the pawl 34 under the urge of-the spring ll, the cartridge elevating member being shoved down by engagement with the forwardly moving breech-block, in the usual 1 manner.

A further action which takes placeduring the issuance of the cartridge and the depositing of the same upon the spoonend of the cartridge elevating member is that in its forward passage through the loading or magazine chamber, it moves from one side of the pivotal connection of the stop lea-f 29 to, the other side, rocking said stop leaf so that the end 24 of the same now projects inwardly in the path of the next cartridge toissue, preventing its emergence from the magazine and obviating the possibility of its coming out into the magazine chamber beneath the spoon end of the cartridge elevating member while said spoon end is elevating a cartridge into the firing chamber. Upon its return, the spoon end of the cartridge elevating member 18 which during its elevated position holds the stop leaf '29 inward, that is to say, in the path of emergenceof a cartridge from the magazine,'releases said stop leaf 29, and thereby permits a fresh cartridge again to protrude from the magazine chamber 17 in the position shown-at 37? in Figure 5, which carridge. W ll rest ag nst the stop piece 16, the tter having r urneclo; i s place an been locked in position by the overlying end of the plete cycle of operation consummated and the V gun is now re-loaded, the firing hammer being prevlously returned to lts normal position through the action of the-breech+block,l a I mechanical operation which. is wellfknown, and the gun s again ready for firing through; another impulse of the firingt-rigger;

Should it be desired to unload the gun manually, this may be done safely and quickly in the following manner I 7 First, the'hand slide with the breech-block is pushed toward the stock end of'the gun', and inso doing, the shell in the firing chamber 32 of the barrel 8 is automatically ejected. By permitting the hand slide to remain in open position throughinhibition of the pres sure of the spring 41, in the usual manner, by

locking means not shown, and by wiithdran H I 7 ing the lid5 fromits closed position, as shown the cartridge elevating member, holds the lat-' in Fig. 5, the cartridge elevating member will be raised, while at the time of opening. the

door 5 the gun will be put on'safety; \Vith' V which removes the stop leaf29 as an obstruc- V t1ve factor to the magazine, permitting all 7 I the cartridges in the magazine to be ejected through the loading cha 'm ber't by means of pressure exerted on the cartridges by thesprlng 44;. r a v \Vhile have, in the above description, endea'voredto disclose what I believe to be a perfect and practical embodiment of my in ventlon, it is to be understood that the details of construction, as described, are byway of example and are not to be considered limitao tive in their effect upon theinvention, the

scope of which is defined in theap'pende d claims. Y .f

Iclaim: 1. In automatic gunmechanism including a receiver, and a firing barrel and magazine opening thereinto, said receiver being provided with an aperture giving access to said magazine, in combination, moans lying normally in obstruct-ive'vrelation between said aperture and said magazine, for elevating cartridges. to said firing barrel upon their emergence from said magazine, and a closure for said aperture cooperating with said-oartridge elevating means to raise the latter out 7 I of obstructive relation to said magazine when said closure 1s opened.

trigger upon the'opening of said closure.

3; In an automatic gun mechanism including a receiver, and a firing barrel .and magae c 120:. 2. lnautomatic gun mechanism including I in safety position.

' I zine Opening thereinto, a firing trigger and a safety catch for said trigger, said receiver being provided with'an aperture giving access tosaid magazine, in combination, means lying normally'in obstructive relation between said ;aperture and said magazine, for eievating cartridges to said firing barrel upon their emergence from said magazine, and a closure for said aperture simultaneously cooperating '.'with said cartridge elevating means to raise the latter out of obstructive relation to said magazine when said closure is opened, and with said safety catch, for placing the latter 4:. In automatic gun mechanism, including a receiver, and a firing barrel and magazine Opening thereinto, a breech-block, slidable in operative relation to said barrel having a recoil position attained against spring pressure,

' said receiver being provided with a lateral aperture open to said firing barrel when said breech-block is in recoil position, and being 7 provided with a loading aperture giving access to said magazine, means within said receiver lying normally'in obstructive relation between said lastnained aperture and said magazine, for elevating cartridges to said iir ing barrel upon their emergence from said magazine, interengaging means between said cartridge elevating means and breech-block detaining said breech-block in recoil position when said cartridge elevating means is in obstructive vrelation to said magazine, and a closure for the last-named aperture in said receiver, cooperating with said cartridge elevating means to raise the latter out of obstructive relatlon to said magazine when said closure is opened, thereby efiecting simultaneous release of said breech-block from its recoil position. i

5. In automatic gun mechanism, including a receiver, and a firing barrel and magazine opening thereinto, a breech-block slidable in operative relationto said barrel, having a recoil position attained against spring pressure, said receiver being provided with a lateral aperture, open to said firing barrel when said breech-block is in recoil position, an external closure movable with said breech-block for closing said opening, said receiver being provided with a loading aperture giving ac cess to said magazine, means within said receiver lying normally in obstructive relation between the last-named aperture and said magazine, for elevating cartridges to said firin'gbarrel upon their emergence from said cartridge elevating means and breech-block detaining said breech-block in recoil position when said cartridge-elevating means is in obstructive relation to said magazine, and a closure for said last-iianied aperture in said receiver cooperating with said cartridge-elevating means to raise'the'latter out of its obstructive relation to said magazine, when said closure isopened, thereby eliecting simultaneous release of said breech-block from its recoil position.

6. In automatic gun mechanism, a receiver, a barrel and a magazine beneath the barrel, both communicating with said receiver, the latter being formed with a breech-block chamber in front of said barrel in which the breech-block is adapted to slide, and a magazine chamber forward of said magazine, a cartridge stop comprising an upper part pivoted in said breech-block and being confined substantially to the space above the plane of the lower side o1 said breech-block chamber, and a lower part detachably secured thereto and depending in the magazine chamber in the path of emergence of cartridges from said magazine, said upper part being removable with said breech block, from the receiver in the direction of the firing barrel upon removal of said lower part.

7. In automatic gun mechanism, a receiver, a barrel, and a magazine beneath the barrel, both communicating with said receiver, the latter being formed with a breech-block chamber in front of said barrel, in which the breech-block is adapted to slide, and a magazine chamber, forward of said magazine, cartridge-elevating means in said magazine chamber, a cartridge stop comprising an upper part pivoted in said breeclrblock and being confined substantially within the space above the plane of the lower side of the breech-block chamber and a lower part de tachably secured thereto and depending in the magazine chamber in the path of emergence oi cartridges from said magazine, said upper part being removable. with the breechblock from the receiver in the direction of the firing chamber, upon removal of the lower part, said cartridges elevating means being provided with a slot giving access to the securing means of the parts of said cartridge stop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDW ARD H. SHELMAN. 

